


Introductions

by Starkvenger



Series: Partners In Crime-Verse [2]
Category: Constantine (TV), Constantine: The Hellblazer (Comics), DC Extended Universe, Justice League - All Media Types, Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: BAMF Billy Batson, BAMF Chas Chandler, BAMF John Constantine, Billy's a kid, Bisexual John Constantine, First Meetings, Gen, Identity Reveal, John Constantine Being an Asshole, Magic, Magical Realism, Mentor/Protégé, New Family, Not shipping-wise though, Rock of Eternity, Secret Identity, Sorcerers, Tags May Change, new powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-23 00:24:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18538516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: John Constantine senses something going down in Fawcett City, and with that place being home to the Rock of Eternity and its blasted Wizard Shazam, it can only be bad....Or maybe not?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> YEET SO-- FIRST MEETINGS!!!!
> 
> Bit of a prequel I guess you could say to Partners in Crime. This is gonna be showing how Billy, John, and Chas first met!
> 
> Short fic, probably 1-3 chapters.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YEET SKEET ENJOY MY DUDES~
> 
> For those of you wondering, yes. This is a prequel.

 

\- - -

 

John groaned loudly as the old gray phone that sat beside him on the coffee table made a shrill beeping sound, pulling him from his sleep and into the waking world. "Blasted thing... one of these days i'm gonna get rid of you completely," he grumbled, glaring the device down before reaching towards it to silence it.

 

The blonde slumped back onto the worn leather, shutting his eyes tightly before bringing his hand up to simultaneously pinch the bridge of his nose and rub his eyes. He sat up slowly, scratching just above his ear before stretching. Why was he waking up so early again? 

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the clatter of metal pans tumbling from a cabinet, followed by a series of colorful curses. 

 

Oh right. Chas was here.

 

John ran a hand through his tangled blonde hair before tossing his blanket to the side and standing up with a groan. His white button-up shirt was rumpled and wrinkled, but he honestly didn't really care as he made his way towards the kitchen. 

 

He found Chas, his closest friend of nearly 20 years, fumbling with ingredients and attempting to cook breakfast. John tilted his head slightly, leaning on the doorframe and clearing his throat. "Any luck there, mate?" he asked, his voice gravelly from disuse. 

 

Chas glanced up at the blonde in surprise, giving him a smirk. "Of course. I was just gonna make breakfast. You want anything specific?" he asked, setting the pan in his hand down on the stove. John thought for a moment, scratching at the back of his head for a moment.

 

"Coffee."

 

Chas gave him an unimpressed look. "You know where the pot is then, arse."

 

John smirked and moved past the brunet to make coffee-- only to pause at the thrumming that suddenly struck his head. "The hell..." he breathed, bringing a hand up to his temple. The sensation grew, growing warmer and louder until he had a full-blown pounding headache in his temples. 

 

The blonde shut his eyes against the pain, his jaw set as warmth pooled in his core. "Uh- John?" Chas said, making the man open his eyes to glance at his friend--

 

Only to find objects around them floating, enveloped in a yellow aura. "Bloody Hell..." John groaned, putting a hand against his eye and pushing in an attempt to get the pain to stop. Only one thing ever made his head hurt like this. The damn Rock of Eternity, source of all magic in this, and every other universe. John grumbled to himself about the sodding Wizard and just what must be happening at the Rock or in Fawcett for this to happen.

 

"Chas, I have to go." 

 

The brunet in question gave him a confused look. "What? Why? You float all the mugs in the kitchen and then bolt without an explanation?"

 

John gave him a withering glare. 

 

"Ooh, mate, you alright?" Chas asked, ignoring the look the man gave him. "What's wrong?" 

 

"The sodding Rock of Eternity's what's happened," John growled back, gripping the edge of the counter. This headache was lasting a lot longer than any others had before, so whatever was happening-- it was big. "I have to get to Fawcett."

 

"Well let's go then."

 

The blonde was going to argue, but Chas was already moving out of the kitchen and on his way to grab John's duffel bag. He shook his head and kept a hand against his head as he followed suit. "The sooner I can get rid of this blasted headache, the better."

 

Chas nodded, duffel bag thrown over his shoulder as John opened a portal to Fawcett City.

 

\- - -

 

The pair stepped out into an alleyway in Fawcett, and john's headache doubled down, causing his portal to falter and for him to fall to his knees with a groan of pain. The pain suddenly vanished, however, leaving the man staring at the asphalt beneath him and breathing heavily.

 

"Fucking hell..."  John breathed, sitting back onto his knees before standing up. "Alright...whatever that damn Wizard's done, its over now..." he said, looking around. "We'd better take a look around, make sure there are no lasting effects."

 

"Last thing we need is one of the sins breaking loose..." he grumbled, coming out of the alley--

 

\--Only to have a sudden red blur fly a few inches in front of him and blow him backward.

 

"WHAT THE HELL?!" The man yelled, his eyes wide as he turned his head in the direction the red blur had gone. The sorcerer's eyes narrowed before he took off down the sidewalk. "Come on, Chas!" he yelled, footsteps clicking against the concrete.

 

John rounded the corner to find a car that looks like it'd been thrown across the street. It was dented and had what looked almost like grip marks in the hood. He paused, looking around and spotting a woman shaking with her back pressed against the wall. "The red blur! Where'd it go?!" he asked, the woman pointing down the street with wide eyes.

 

The magician took off again, Chas trailing behind him. Please don't be a sin, please don't be a sin, please don't be a sin--

 

John winced at the sight of a large, grotesque, demon-looking creature being suddenly slammed into the wall- and then immediately through it. The creature hissed before launching itself from the hole its body created, soaring towards something in the air- something clad in red and white.

 

The man furrowed his brow at the sight of the figure in the sky. He didn't look like any of the League's boys-- well, not costume-wise anyways. The man had raven black hair and a muscular frame very similar if not identical to Superman's but wore a stark red uniform with a billowing white cape. He had golden circlets surrounding his wrists, and golden boots on his feet to match.

 

His chest was the kicker though-- a glowing, golden lightning bolt was emblazed on his barrelled chest, with lightning bouncing in and out of it and around the man's large frame. 

 

John swallowed thickly- that was the Wizard's symbol, and he knew for a fact that the guy in the sky was not the crotchety old man John had dealt with in the past. That meant-- His eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat. The damn old man had finally found his champion.

 

The blonde smiled for a moment, watching the Wizard's Champion float in the sky before he was suddenly tackled out of the air by the creature- by Gluttony. John winced.

 

So the Wizard found his Champion...but the man had no idea what he was doing.

 

Perfect.

 

\- - -

 

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone, please welcome a new set of premium, gold-plated drills to the family!!
> 
> First, we have comment! He is the most important to me and helps me know what you guys wanna see more of!
> 
> The rest...eh comment is really all I care about. He's my favorite drill. :P


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YEET another chapter :D
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

 

**So the Wizard found his Champion...but the man had no idea what he was doing.**

**Perfect.**

 

\- - -

 

John watched the man grapple with the Sin before rolling his eyes and throwing his hands out. Yellow sparks danced around his hands before runes of light appeared in front of his fingertips.  _"Peccatum ligate Diabolum hunc!"_  he yelled, the light at his fingertips flaring before tendrils of light enveloped Gluttony. 

 

The man above him paused, tilting his head in confusion at the sight of bands of light encasing the creature. He looked down and blinked at John on the ground before smiling widely and waving. "Dude that's so cool!" He said in awe.

 

"Just punch the damn thing already!" John yelled back, beginning to struggle with the containment spell. 

 

The champion blinked before nodding, rearing his fist back before socking it into the creature's face. It was sent sailing through the air and tumbled onto a rooftop. The hero followed it and picked the creature up, his own magic flaring out around his hands. 

 

"Aah! What- what's happening?!" he yelled, causing John to facepalm. This man seriously knew nothing about what he was supposed to be doing. What was the wizard thinking?! He opened a portal and hopped through it along with Chas, appearing on the roof with the champion.

 

"That's your magic, you twit- focus on Gluttony and send it back to the Rock!" he said, keeping his eyes trained on the Sin in the Champion's hands.

 

"Go easy on him, John-" Chas cut in, nudging the blonde.

 

"How- how am I supposed to do that?" the man asked, sounding more like a child than the 25-year-old he appeared to be. John rolled his eyes (he seemed to be doing that a lot) and threw his own hand out.

 

"As I said, you dolt, focus!"

 

"Yea, I heard you the first time, mister, focus on what!?"

 

"Think of the Rock. The Wizard. The bloody stone statue that this bastard is  _supposed to be_." he said, light emitting from his fingertips. His own magic intertwined with the Champion's and it felt-- strangely youthful. 

 

Every person with the ability to do magic has their own aura, their own 'feeling' that surrounds their magic. While the Champion's felt overwhelmingly powerful, (this was the Protector of Magic itself after all) it also felt like a child's. Unruly, wild, and innocent. The wizard wouldn't...no. No- John pushed the thought from his head. The old man would never.

 

"O-okay," the raven said, his eyes focusing on the creature struggled against his grip. A golden aura surrounded the man's hands, making a large smile appear on his face. He glanced at John like a child awaiting praise before turning towards the Sin once more. 

 

"Alright, ugly, time to go back to where you belong--" the demigod grunted, biting down and gritting his teeth as the light around his hands flared out. "It's not- working-" he grunted, anger flaring in his eyes as his grip tightened.

 

"You're trying to brute force your way through this- you can't," John said with a glare. "You may be new to this but i'm not. Let the damn magic flow through you. It's like a river, not a water hose."

 

"River. Not a hose." the champion parroted back, his jaw relaxing slightly as he closed his eyes. His magic flared out once more, enveloping the Sin completely. The man suddenly opened his eyes, light filling them as Gluttony was banished back to the Rock of Eternity with an unholy withering screech. 

 

"I did it!!" The man laughed, beaming as the light faded from his bright blue eyes. "I actually did it- holy moley!!" He glanced at John with a million-watt smile before pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. 

 

John tensed, his lip curling at the contact. "Thank you thank you thank you-" the large man said before he was tapped on the shoulder. The champion glanced down at Chas, who gave a small wave.

 

"Mate, my friend here isn't really one for physical contact. You should probably put him down before he shows you why his nickname's Hellblazer." Chas said conversationally, slipping one of his hands into his pocket. The man . in red blinked before looking at the brit in his arms.

 

"Wait-  _you're_  John Constantine?" he asked, tilting his own head slightly before setting the man down on the rooftop. "No offense but... the media kinda presents you like this big bad pirate-like guy. You don't seem like a bad guy though." 

 

John straightened out his trenchcoat. before giving the man a withering glare, pulling out his cigarette box only to find it crushed. He rolled his eyes with a sneer before pocketing the box and turning his attention back on the man that the Wizard had chosen to guard all of magic.

 

"Mhm, yea mate. What's your name and why do you act like a preteen?" He asked, getting a look from Chas. 

 

The champion blinked, his cheeks tinging slightly pink before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh uh- I- uh..." he stammered, glancing off and clearly trying to come up with some kind of excuse. "Well you see I..." he trailed off, chewing on his lip.

 

John shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as his lip curled into another snarl. That blasted old man actually chose a child, a literal child, to be the guardian of magic? The World's Mightiest Mortal? The Champion of Shazam?! He sighed, bringing both hands up to his face to groan into them.

 

"I can't believe that dolt chose a child..." he muttered, causing the man in front of him to grow defensive.

 

"Hey, it's not the Wizard's fault! He- he said he wanted to wait until I was older, but... but he said that he couldn't. That the world needed his champion." he said, brow furrowed. "I- I understand that you think i'm too young, but if Mr. Shazam thought I was worthy of his powers--" 

 

"Just how old are you?" John asked, opening his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

 

The champion went quiet again before letting out a sigh. "11...and a half."

 

"Right. And your name?" John asked, his words clipped.

 

"Billy...Billy Batson."

 

John's jaw set again, his hand curling into an angry fist. Shazam had chosen a grade-schooler to be his champion. He'd given the powers of the Gods to someone  _who couldn't do division yet_. "Right," he said after a moment. "It's not that you're not worthy," he said, meeting the stark blue eyes in front of him.

 

"Its that the old fool thought  _now_  was a good time to give you your powers. A child your age should be in school, not dealing with the occult and magical."

 

"It's not like I go to school anyways..." the man grumbled, crossing his muscular arms over his large chest in a pout. "Look what's done is done. I'm the new champion and that's that," he said, a steely determination in his eyes.

 

John took in a long breath before letting it out slowly. He couldn't stand dealing with children. They were all too perky and stubborn and never listened to reason. Not to mention loyal to a fualt and-- 

 

No, no. Don't go down that road. You don't need to think about  _her_.

 

 The blonde shook his head and made eye contact with the man once more. "Change back. You just got your powers today, right?" he asked. It'd explain his headache- if the Wizard finally chose another champion, the expulsion and transference of magic would send ripples throughout the multiverse and affect every magic-user. If this kid got his powers today, he'd probably have yet to change back.

 

While the Champion's form could handle the magic that ran through it, someone new to having magic in their veins could easily pass out from the rush. "You need to rest." he continued when he got a distrustful look.

 

"How do I know you're not just gonna like, beat me up or steal my shoes or something?" he asked, his expression guarded. Wait- what kind of kid worried about his shoes getting stolen? It was a peculiar question...and one he thought he may have an idea from where the kid got it.

 

"Change back. I'm not gonna hurt ya, kid. Swear on my mum." he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Your body's not used to the magic the Champion possesses. You gotta let your mortal form get used to it, otherwise, you'll turn to dust, you bloody twit," he said. While it wasn't technically true that the boy would turn to dust, it would be fairly painful and really hard to move. 

 

He'd experienced the feeling first-hand when he'd had his magic stripped from him and given back.

 

The man gave him a thoughtful look before chewing on his lip and taking a few steps back. John thought he was about to bolt when he looked up at the sky, only for him to call down the magical lightning that imbued him with the Wizard's powers...or took them away.

 

Jhon shielded himself from the light and heat of the massive bolt, the air crackling with power afterward. Smoke billowed out from a now much much smaller form, one of a scrawny little boy with a mop of black hair, faded red hoodie, and sneakers that looked to be nearly 2 sizes too big. There was a bruise on the kid's cheek and his cheeks looked almost hollow- did this kid not eat regularly?

 

That's when it hit him-- this kid was homeless.

 

John wanted to strangle that old man.

 

He shut his eyes and let out a breath, shaking the thoughts from his mind. He opened them to find the kid swaying on his feet, a hand on his feet as he stumbled. Chas sprung into action, catching the boy before his head could hit the rooftop asphalt. The brunet held the small boy and glanced at John. 

 

"What do we do now John?"

 

John sighed, turning on his heel and opening a portal. "We take him home and get him something to eat," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the pair. "Fix him up and pray that he doesn't get into any of the magical artifacts there in the meantime," he said, turning back towards the portal. 

 

"But for now- we get him to the couch to rest."

 

"You growing soft, John?"

 

"Of course not. This is a one-time thing. He's in and out, and we move on with our lives." 

 

"I don't know, Johnny- I kinda like him. Would it be so bad if he were to stick around?"

 

"God, you sound like an advert for an adoption agency."

 

"I'm serious, mate."

 

"So am I. He's not staying with us, so don't get attached. Billy here's not going to join our band of misfits."

 

"Whatever you say, John."

 

\- - -

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So am I. He's not staying with us, so don't get attached. Billy here's not going to join our band of misfits."
> 
> And then he //did//.
> 
> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> 
> YEET TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR WANTS, YOUR DESIRES--
> 
> srsly tho tell me whatcha thought! :D
> 
> ⚡️SHAZAM!⚡️


End file.
